League Of Ireland Keeper Quits Club To Joins Love Island Villa
In recent days it has been confirmed that a League of Ireland keeper has left his club to join the popular ITV show Love Island.
Who Is The League of Ireland Keeper Joining Love Island Villa
The secret is out, and the rumours have proven to be true we as have a League of Ireland ‘keeper swapping the beautiful game in search of a different type of beauty. That footballer? Goalkeeper Scott Van Der Sluis of Shelbourne FC.
Scott (22) signed for Manchester United as an eight-year-old in 2009 before spending five seasons from 2010-2014 at his boyhood club Liverpool. During that time he played with the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Van der Sluis also represented his country Wales at U15, U16 and U17 levels a total of 10 times. His proudest moment during his youth career was when Wales won the Victory Shield in 2015.
After leaving Liverpool in 2014 he moved back to Wales where he joined Swansea City for four years before his contract expired in 2019. Following the expiration of that contract he played mostly in the English Non-League system.
Van der Sluis’ League Of Ireland Career
The Welsh goalkeeper signed with League of Ireland Premier Division club Shelbourne on the 16th of June 2022. He would make a great start to life at the club with a clean sheet in his debut in a 4-0 FAI Cup win against Bonagee United. Van der Sluis renewed his contract that November to extend his stay at the club for the 2023 season.
The new Love Island contestant made two further appearances for the club keeping clean sheets this season in the Leinster Senior Cup, in the opening round 4-0 win over Dundalk FC and a 2-0 win over Wexford FC in the quarter-final.
However, it was confirmed by Shelbourne that he was leaving the club after making no league appearances for the club to participate on Love Island.
The player requested and was granted a release from his contract so he can take a break from his professional football career to participate in the ITV television show. However, that was not before the club had some little modern marketing fun with the news.
A bombshell has entered the villa…#DublinsFinest | @LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/05bBgEhf3G
— Shelbourne FC (@shelsfc) June 14, 2023
Manager Damien Duff Shuts Door On Return To Club
The club have wished Van der Luis well in the future with Shelbourne Head Coach and former Ireland International Damien Duff being his usual box-office self in response to the news stating,
“I was shocked and saddened that Scott chose a villa in Mallorca full of beautiful, single women over myself, the staff and the players.” Despite Duff’s light hearted remarks he has closed the doors on any potential return following the show’s completion in his usual stern fashion stressing,
“I have tried to create a really serious working environment here and he won’t be coming back, but I wish him well.”
Scott van-der-Sluis has thanked the club following the news saying “Shels are a great club going in the right direction and I look forward to seeing what the lads can achieve. Shels is my club, I’ll be cheering on the lads as a fan when I leave the villa.”
Shelbourne FC can confirm Scott van-der-Sluis has left the club.
We’d like to wish Scott all the best for the future.
📲 | https://t.co/DFsFslt2iX#DublinsFinest | #Since1895 pic.twitter.com/e2t8cNbo5f
— Shelbourne FC (@shelsfc) June 15, 2023
Scott actually isn’t the first former League of Ireland Footballer to enter the Villa with former Waterford player Aaron Simpson who played with the club in the 2019-2020 season entering the TV Show on Day 42 lasting 10 days before being dumped out of the show on Day 52 in the Villa.
One thing is for sure though, there will be plenty of jokes and content opportunities for League of Ireland followers coming out of this show. But who knows? He is a “keeper” after all!
So are Shels now tbf https://t.co/j6um0qhdCa
— Niall O’Connell (@NiallOC_1895) June 14, 2023
Scott van der Sluis Love Island Odds
The former Shelbourne ‘keeper is being tipped as one of the favourites upon entering the villa. Scott van der Luis has been installed at odds of 9/2 to be the top male on Love Island 2023.
Those odds make him the third favourite to be part of the winning couple at the end of the show. He is only narrowly behind 3/1 favourite Tyrique Hyde and 4/1 second favourite Sammy Root.
There is more Irish interest in this year’s Love Island with Dublin’s Catherine Agbaje also appearing on the show.
Click Below For All Our Love Island Odds
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